Congress

Appropriations Committee: A congressional committee that works with federal spending. So What: The appropriations committee holds the power of the purse, and controls all the senate's spending. Bicameralism: A lawmaking body made up of two houses. So What: In a bicameral legislature bills are produced in a way that will represent the states and the people. commerce power: Power to regulate foreign trade and between the states. So What: Commerce power is important because it’s congress’ greatest power over what the states do. Congress’ ability to regulate trade has been proved to be a very important way in how the congress regulates the states. Committee of the Whole: A committee made from the house that takes a closer look at laws…

first established the U.S. Congress, congress was considered an unpopular job. Congress members had to travel far, be in sessions that were long and hot and there was not much to do in national government. Nonetheless, Congress has become a strong and stable institution through careerism and organization of committees. However, party leadership power is dependent on how much the constituent knows and feels about government and if there is a divided government Congress has many layers to make…

The United States Congress is often described with two words: unproductive and unpopular. As Congress’s approval ratings continue to plummet it has become evident that gridlock plays a major role in voter’s feelings towards congressional productivity. Many voters are beginning to worry that Congress is more broken than ever due to the fact that it seems as if it is unable to make even the smallest bipartisan decisions anymore (NBC News). Congress is appearing to seem dysfunctional to the…

Understanding the way that Congress and Lobbyists work together is imperative to understanding the way that the government is structured, and understanding how the government functions in America. Lobbyists are organizations or individuals who attempt to influence the passage, defeat, or content of the legislation and the government’s administrative decisions. Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in a government, most often legislators or members of…

article is the president’s appeal to address president’s authority as it reference to war, for congress to address decisions made and renounce them. This article is illustrating the decisions congress made during the Bush Administration in a result of the ongoing foreign affairs. A lot of these decisions limited the president’s power as commander in chief. Considering the Sole Organ doctrine, this puts the president in a controversial bind with Congress and the constitution. The constitution…

make laws to the legislative branch of government. The Structure of Congress The Constitution creates a bicameral, or two-part, national legislature called Congress. The two parts, or houses, of Congress are the House of Representatives and the Senate. Members of the Senate serve six-year terms so that they can enjoy some independence from the day-to-day opinions of voters. In contrast, members of the House serve two-year terms. As a result, they have to face the voters much more often. In this…

In the process, the President and Congress decide how much money to spend and tax, during the financial year. They both decide how much money there is to spend on each activity, make sure the Government doesn't spend more than necessary, and at the end of each year they have to report how much they spend. The President's budget is usually planned one year before, but it is just a proposal and not exactly the "budget". After Congress receives the President's proposal they have its own budget…

In recent years, Congress has become increasingly polarized in terms of partisanship. The definition of partisan polarization is the separation of the two major parties as they move towards more severe issue positions. In other words, the members of Congress – both in the House of Representatives and in the Senate – tend to be either extremely liberal (corresponding to the Democratic party), or extremely conservative (corresponding to the Republican party). There are currently few members of the…

Written in the Constitution, Section one, is that all legislative powers will be given to Congress. This was instituted by the framers to separate powers among three branches to limit the power of one branch over the other. Congress was charged by the Constitution with three primary duties writing laws, overseeing the implementation of laws, and serving the needs of their constituents. Within the confines of writing laws, there are actions that Congress may take to delay a bill from being passed…

For residents living in Washington D.C it is a question of fairness. Residents serve in the military, sit on juries, and pay federal taxes just like everyone else. But because of the capital’s status as a federal congress, they do not have voting representation in congress, they have no say in the nation’s laws. They also have limited control over their own affairs. D.C’s second-class status goes back to America’s earliest days. The founding fathers thought it would be best if they kept the…